


love is a (human) virtue

by 84dragons



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: (but not really), Alien Culture, F/F, False Memories, Family Fluff, I cant believe Rhea was a supercorp shipper all along, Love at First Sight, Mind Manipulation, Soul Bond, Temporary Amnesia, Torture, background sanvers, background winn/james, dont let the summary scare you off: mon-el is a very minor character in this story, kryptonians are empathic and daxamites are telepathic, very brief (and unrequited) karamel at the beginning but they break up early on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-11-18 18:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11296512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/84dragons/pseuds/84dragons
Summary: Supercorp Amnesia AU.In an attempt to get through to Mon-El, Rhea kidnaps Kara and erases her memories, promising to return them only if Mon-El fulfills his duty and comes back to Daxam. The ensuing strain on her mental barriers puts her in a coma state.Lena thinks the chances of the both of them ever becoming more than friends are lower than ever since it seems unlikely that her memories will be restored fully in time… until Kara wakes up and falls in love with her at first sight and she begins dreading the day Kara’s memories come back (but not for long).or: the one where Kara doesn't remember she's Supergirl, there's more to Rhea than meets the eye, Alex and Lena are frenemies (it's complicated) and ancient Kryptonian rituals are involved.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to my betas Hope and Jim! Any remaining mistakes are my own.

The first thing Lena thought when she spotted Kara's sleeping form through the turquoise-tinted window, was that she looked like an angel in her slumber - her golden locks circling her head like a halo and her white hospital gown resembling the togas they were often depicted wearing in renaissance paintings. 

Her heart constricted when she saw that Kara was hooked up to an IV, her free hand dangling carelessly off the bed. Her own hands suddenly felt moist and prickly, and she unconsciously wiped them off on her skirt in a gesture of something she would come to recognize later as anticipation. 

Licking her lips nervously, she rearranged her skirt and smoothed it down before she began pacing in the overcrowded hospital corridor, attracting the glances of several patients and nurses that roamed about. 

Just as her cheeks started heating when the thought of holding Kara's hand came to her (unbidden but certainly not unwelcome), a figure stepped into her field of vision and beat her to it. She moved closer to the door, scarcely avoiding a nurse guiding a patient in a wheelchair, and hid behind a stretcher that was strapped to the wall, careful not to make her presence known to the man who had taken her friend's hand into his. 

If she were lucky, she would be able to wait until he was gone to see Kara and their paths would never cross. She had been visiting Kara for two weeks now and she had never once bumped into anybody but Alex. 

She groaned internally as she recognized Mike, Kara's boyfriend, whom she'd had the displeasure of meeting once at Catco. He wasn't wearing any glasses or bow-ties this time and Lena refrained from chuckling as she recalled his rather _interesting_ fashion choices. 

She had instantly sensed Kara's uneasiness when Mike had suggested he accompany her at the gala, but out of courtesy for her friend - her only friend - she had extended an invitation to him as well, despite the fact that he had struck her as overbearingly obnoxious and not at all the type of person Kara would be interested in (but what the hell did she know about that and why did she care anyway? For all she knew he could have been just a friend, but somehow she had refused to settle for that... and she had been right - Mike had turned out to be her boyfriend after all). 

It seemed like forever ago that she had invited Kara to her gala fundraiser. So much had happened since then, and she and Kara were now closer than ever... but not close enough, a little voice in her head piped up, just as Mike was turning towards her, his expression unreadable. 

As if he'd sensed her thoughts, he cleared his throat and let go of Kara's hand to come stand before her, in what Lena assumed was a possessive stance - but that could very well have been a trick of the light, Lena surmised in an attempt to dismiss Mike's sudden assertiveness, a contrast to the dorky demeanor he had projected when she had first met him. 

For a second he seemed not to know exactly what to tell her and he awkwardly clasped his hands behind his back and leaned forward, invading her personal space. Lena took a deep breath and motioned for him to start talking, already irritated by his antics. She silently wondered what her friend could possibly see in this man and fought the urge to sneer at him. 

''What are you doing here?'' he finally asked her, with what sounded like a hint of barely-repressed annoyance in his voice, but Lena couldn't tell if it were her jealousy making her imagine such things or if it were real. She decided it didn't matter anyway and took a step forward in Mike's direction, forcing him to take two steps backwards if he didn't want them to come into contact. 

''Well, I'm Kara's best friend, you see,'' she began, using the most authoritative voice she could muster and she could have sworn that Mike did his best impression of looking unimpressed - he was making a considerable effort not to appear uncomfortable, but he looked tenser than he had been before he'd noticed Lena standing at the doorstep if the minute twitch of his bottom lip and the balled fists at his side were anything to go by. 

''I received a call from Kara's sister two weeks ago informing me of her accident and I came as soon as I could. I've been visiting her since. I'm surprised we haven't had the pleasure to see each other before today,'' she said, and she could tell Mike had picked up on her sarcastic tone. ''I was simply waiting for you to-'' 

''That won't be necessary,'' he said hastily, barely sparing her a glance. ''I was just on my way to get back to the D- to Kara's apartment.'' 

And just like that, he was gone. 

_Good riddance_ , she thought bitterly. Before she could let the guilt of jealousy settle over her, she let her gaze wander over to Kara and took in the sight before her: Kara's chest rising and falling steadily, Kara's rosy cheeks and plump lips that appeared softer than usual now in the filtering sunlight, Kara's hand that now rested on her stomach, her fingers still clasped like she was holding on to something. 

Kara shifted imperceptibly in her sleep just as she approached her and for the second time that night Lena's heart constricted, but this time it was for an entirely different reason. 

Lena couldn't take it anymore; she sat down in the visitor's chair and laced her fingers with Kara's in one smooth motion - they were alone and she needed the contact now more than ever. She needed proof that Kara was still there with her, that she was still alive. For some reason, the steady beeps of the monitors regulating her heartbeat were not enough; she needed more concrete evidence. 

The coldness of her skin made her flinch, which prompted her to begin idly rubbing circular patterns on the back of Kara's hand in an attempt to increase her blood flow. Seeing as it did little to warm it, she brought her hand closer to her mouth and enveloped it with both of hers, blowing air between them as she rubbed it with renewed vigor. 

She knew Kara could sense her presence and more than anything she wanted to let her know that she would be there for her when she woke up, she would help her get back on her feet just like Kara had done after that whole Jack fiasco. 

''Kara,'' she began, her voice a low rumble she didn't recognize. ''I'm not sure if you can hear me, but I just wanted you to know that I-'' 

At this exact moment, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket and with a sigh she retrieved it and pressed it to her ear. Alex's voice filtered through, punctuated by soft sighs and broken sobs that made her message practically unintelligible. 

Lena thought she had caught the words ''Mon-El'', ''Daxam'' and ''amnesia'' among incoherent sentence fragments, but she had no clue what the first two meant and as such couldn't make sense of anything she had said. 

''Alex, Alex, please slow down. Take a deep breath and start from the beginning,'' Lena urged her on. 

She heard Alex sniffing and hiccuping and the sound of a door being slammed loudly in the background, followed by the rustle of fabric and a distinct thump that indicated that she had sat down heavily on some hard surface. 

Lena silently wondered if she had been staying at Kara's place after the incident. Alex had left out the circumstances surrounding Kara's accident and had simply informed her of her comatose condition and Lena had been too shocked to investigate the situation any further. 

Silence hung heavily between them for several minutes, but Lena could still make out Alex's labored breathing on the other end of the phone so she waited patiently for her to speak and put her phone on speaker. 

''Lena... I- I just need to know if my sister woke up while I wasn't there,'' she finally said in a pleading tone, traces of distress still evident in her voice - a stark contrast to the last time she had spoken to her. Alex had seemed so calm when she'd called her to tell her that her sister had been put in a coma state, which made Lena wonder whether she had been hiding her anguish all along to appear stronger in the face of adversity and if she should discard her theory of Alex being an emotionless drone after all. 

''She... she hasn't woken up, no, but the doctors say that her condition is stable and she's making progress,'' she replied carefully. 

Rather than be delighted by that prospect as Lena would have predicted, Alex let out an involuntary groan. 

''She'll have to be...'' she lowered her voice ominously, ''relocated. And I'll need your help.'' 

Lena heard her mutter something about all of this being some entitled little shit's fault before she cleared her throat and from the sounds of rustling fabric and static echoing in the small hospital room, Lena deduced that she had stood up. 

''Meet me in the hospital parking lot in ten minutes sharp and don't ask questions,'' she said in a commanding tone that would have made Lena shiver in anticipation if Alex hadn't been her secret crush's sister. 

''Relocated? What do you mean by-'' but before she could finish asking her question, Alex had hung up. 

If Lena had been surprised by Alex's query, she didn't let it show. She put her phone back in her pocket and squeezed Kara's hand one last time before reluctantly disentangling their hands. She hesitated for 3.5 seconds before giving in and planting a quick kiss on Kara's forehead. She noticed that a smudge of her lipstick was now apparent on her skin but elected to leave it there as she found the image quite satisfying. 

The idea of Kara waking up and instantly noticing the foreign feeling of dry lipstick on her skin was particularly appealing to Lena; she could perfectly envision Kara's cheeks reddening in sudden realization, her eyes downcast as she fiddled with her hair absently, all because Lena had made her uneasy over such a simple gesture of... affection. 

She had watched it all unfold before her eyes so many times over various trivial matters (that one time she had brought her coffee at her workplace, Sunday morning over brunch, two weeks ago when she had told her that her outfit was striking, and during their last encounter before the accident, when Lena had removed an eyelash from Kara's cheek, asking her to make a wish) that she was now more than accustomed with the way she became so flustered - stumbling over her words and gaping at her, speechless, in such an endearing way that Lena couldn't help but do everything in order to make it happen again. 

*** 

Alex was already there when Lena arrived at the parking lot, carrying two cups of coffee in a coffee tray. She was leaning against a black motorcycle, holding a helmet under her arm while her other one was resting on what appeared to be the second passenger's lap - they still wore their helmet with the visor down so Lena couldn't hope to identify them, but nonetheless she was slightly intrigued by this casual display of affection that she hadn't thought Alex capable of. 

The Danvers sisters were full of surprises, she mused inwardly as she made her way over towards Alex and her sidekick, greeting them with a firm nod. 

Returning her gaze to Alex, Lena noticed that she was clad in black from head to toe and had a gun strapped to her hip - she took a deep breath and bit her lip instinctively at the sight, willing her mind not to wander into _unexplored territories_ for Kara's sake. She was certain her best friend would not appreciate it if she started thinking of her sister in that way. 

Neither Alex nor the mysterious passenger seemed to want to acknowledge her presence, so Lena took the matter into her own hands and cleared her throat, eyeing Alex with the icy look that she usually reserved for her mother. 

''You're late, Luthor,'' she intoned, looking Lena in the eye and without warning, thoughts of Alex giving her the worst shovel talk of her life flitted into her mind at an alarming rate - Alex was threatening to push Lena off L-Corp's building if she so much as hurt a single hair on Kara's body, her hands wrapped tight around her throat. Lena gulped and felt her hands moisten against her will. Damn Danvers and their ability to destabilize her. 

''Relax, I was just kidding. You're right on time. Now before we proceed, I believe some introductions are in order.'' 

She pointed to the second passenger, who disembarked from the motorcycle and removed her helmet with a grace that startled Lena. 

''I'm Maggie Sawyer,'' she said, smoothing her hair down before offering Lena her hand. Lena shook it, not expecting her strong grip and failing to abort a gasp in time. 

''Lena Luthor,'' she choked out. 

Maggie smirked at that and offered in a pleasant tone, ''I'm an NCPD officer in the science department.'' She took a deliberate pause and then added, ''I'm also Alex's girlfriend.'' 

''From what I understand,'' she continued, ''you are Kara's-'' 

''I am Kara's best friend! We aren't romantically involved in any way whatsoever,'' Lena interrupted, heat rising to her cheeks. 

''That's what I was going to say, but your reaction alone tells me that you wish it were otherwise,'' Maggie said, winking at her. ''There's no shame in that, you know. I hear little Danvers is a real catch... for those who are able to match her speed, if you know what I mean.'' She looked smug and raised an eyebrow suggestively at a confused, but mildly intrigued, Lena. 

Just then, Alex put her hand on Maggie's shoulder before she could reveal any more of her sister's secrets. ''Maggie!'' she admonished in an urgent whisper, offering Lena a strained smile as she gripped her girlfriend by the shoulders in earnest and turned her around to force her to look her in the eye. 

''You mean she doesn't-'' Maggie gasped and Alex shot daggers at her to shut her up. Maggie's mouth quirked into a full-on smirk as she eyed Lena from the corner of her eye in a manner that was less than subtle but definitely deliberate on her part. 

Lena looked at Alex, then her gaze flitted over to Maggie before going back to Alex, and she noticed that they were having a silent conversation, in which Maggie had raised an eyebrow (again!) at Alex and she in turn had stuck out her tongue playfully, rolling her eyes at her girlfriend. Maggie's eyes crinkled slightly as she smiled and Alex's eyes shone with a sparkle that couldn't have been mistaken as something other than love and Lena suddenly felt like she was intruding on an intimate moment between the two of them. 

As she saw them inching ever closer to one another, their lips practically touching, it was now Lena's turn to roll her eyes. 

''I don't mean to interrupt you two lovebirds, but I'd like to know why you sought out my help in the first place, Danvers.'' 

She spat out the name with all the poison she could muster (which, let's face it, was not much right now), her hands now on her hips, but Alex saw through her all the same and a laugh ripped out from her throat at Lena's expression. 

Lena could have sworn she had heard Maggie mutter _I like her_ under her breath, but did not comment on it. 

''We're here to break Kara out. Maggie, however,'' Alex took a pause to eye Maggie with a disapproving look and then went on, ''will not be assisting us with that part.'' 

Alex begun marching off towards the hospital entrance as Maggie put her helmet back on and waved at them, disappearing from their field of vision as they walked past the entrance's revolving doors. Lena hadn't noticed she had been following Alex's lead the whole time and that they were now in the hospital's hallway, heading towards the lift. 

''Why would we do that? Kara's recovery is-'' 

''We believe that she is still being exposed to the chemical that rendered her comatose,'' Alex replied in a sharp voice that told Lena she shouldn't push the issue any further for her own sake. But Lena, ever the stubborn Luthor, wouldn't have it. 

''Who's ‘we’?'' 

Alex eyed the old lady who was boarding the lift with them with a pointed look and raised a single brow at Lena in disbelief. Lena briefly wondered if she had picked it up from her girlfriend and without thinking, she asked: 

''Why couldn't Maggie accompany you instead of me?'' 

Alex remained silent during the whole ride after that. 

After they stepped out of the lift (Alex in a hurry, Lena reluctantly trailing after her once the old lady had departed, giving her a look of sympathy), Lena was now having difficulty keeping up with Alex's long strides, but nonetheless she tried her best to match her pace. She seemed to be headed nowhere in particular, walking as fast as she could as if she intended for Lena to be lagging behind. 

''Remember what I said about not asking questions, Luthor?'' Alex said out of the blue as she turned around so abruptly that it was a miracle Lena didn't bump into her. 

''What do you need me for, then?'' she asked, a tinge of defiance coloring her voice. 

''You... are gonna act as a distraction, while I will take care of Kara. James and Winn will be arriving shortly with the necessary transportation.'' 

Lena could tell it was taking all of Alex's resolve not to snap at her, so when Alex resumed walking she simply followed silently behind her. Even though her urge to interrogate her further was especially strong at the moment, her instinct of self-preservation was stronger. 

As they reached the restrooms, for the second time in less than five minutes, Alex stopped in her tracks to turn in Lena's direction, this time harboring a neutral expression rather than a slightly affronted one. 

''Now you just wait here,'' she instructed her as she handed her gun over to Lena, who was momentarily put out by the gesture but quickly recovered as she heard Alex's laugh filter through the cabins. 

When she re-emerged from the ladies' room, Alex had traded her all-black skin tight clothes for a nurse uniform accompanied by a surgeon mask and latex gloves. The first thing she said was: 

''Put that thing,'' Alex pointed at her gun, ''away. Quick.'' 

Lena blinked at Alex and shoved it in her purse obediently. 

''Now come on,'' she said. 

*** 

''James, I'm not sure this is the best way to-'' 

Winn's sentence was cut short as James put his hands on Winn's biceps and forced the shorter man to look up at him. Winn gulped as he saw a flicker of pain dance in James's eyes for a fraction of a second. It would have been lost on anyone else, but Winn had become an expert in reading his friend's micro-expressions as of late, since his eyes were oftentimes his only glimpse into his facial features when he wore his Guardian costume. It helped that James' eyes were unusually expressive. 

In times like these he had a hard time believing his friend was completely over Kara Danvers. 

''This is Kara we're talking about. If we don't do something right now, she could stay like this forever.'' James sighed and his right hand found its way to the back of his neck, stroking the skin there in an attempt to calm his nerves. 

''Is that what you want, Winn?'' James asked more forcefully than he intended, making Winn wince slightly as his left hand tightened on his bicep. He sounded so broken and helpless that Winn couldn't help but detach his gaze from him. He couldn't look into those eyes when they were displaying his pain so openly. 

''Sorry,'' he apologized, patting Winn's bicep. ''I'm still hung up on the fact that Mon-El betrayed us. I can't believe I trusted him.'' 

''We all trusted him,'' Winn replied in a soft voice, hoping to convey his sympathy to James. ''And look where that got us.'' 

Winn took a deep breath and went on, knowing what he was going to say was what James had needed to hear since Alex had told him about Kara, 

''It's not your fault, you know. You're not responsible for what happened to Kara.'' 

James looked like he was going to protest, so Winn let him. He knew in the end his friend would understand the point he'd been trying to make, but right now he needed to convince himself that he had done enough. He owed him that at least, after all James had done for him. 

''I know, but if only I had been there for her, if only I had seen-'' 

''You were there, James, but she didn't need your help at that time. She didn't need you.'' 

The words stung, but James took them without protest this time, refusing to avert is eyes. 

''She needed time to think and then he crashed into her life like a meteor... and the rest is history, as they say.'' 

''I- I suppose you're right,'' James begrudgingly agreed, squeezing Winn's bicep one last time before letting go of him. They fell into a pleasant silence, broken only by the steady thrumming of the engine. 

The words ''do you still love her'' were on the tip of Winn's tongue, but before he could decide whether or not today would be the day he would jeopardize his friendship with James, Alex and Lena appeared in his field of vision, Kara laying still between them on a gurney. She was cocooned in a white cotton blanket that reached her chin and Winn noticed that there were straps restraining her from her shoulders to her feet. 

She looked so vulnerable, so utterly human, that for a moment Winn was startled. It had been so long since he had seen Kara like this, her face looking almost peaceful and innocent when it should have been etched with pain, hardened, like it always was when she was hurt. It was as if he had been transported back to the day he first met her, when all that existed between them had been an unrequited crush on Winn's part, the unwavering solidarity inherent to all Catco employees and awkward conversations in the lift that only served to get him down. 

As Winn fumbled for the van's keys in his pocket, James readied the stretcher for transportation. The two of them hoisted it into the van and beckoned for Alex and Lena to join them inside. Winn took the wheel and James plopped down in the passenger's seat, leaving Alex and Lena without a proper seat to occupy since the backseat of the van had been removed to make room for the gurney. The two of them were cramped up against one another uncomfortably, Alex's gun digging into Lena's hip. 

At one point the van took a sharp turn to the left and Lena was thrust forward abruptly, one of her hands ending up making contact with Kara's burning cheek while the other gripped Alex's gun harness in an effort to stabilize herself. As she was about to (somewhat reluctantly) remove her hand from Kara's cheek, the slightest moan escaped from her friend's lips and Lena froze in panic, eyeing Alex with an alarmed look that was meant to convey both embarrassment and excitement. Alex just rolled her eyes, muttering ''Really, Luthor?'' in an exasperated tone as she shifted closer to Lena to get a better view of Kara's face, hesitating momentarily before leaning forward to press a kiss on her forehead. 

During the rest of the ride, everyone including Kara stayed uncharacteristically silent until James declared that they were approaching their destination and that ''some precautions should be taken'', whatever that meant. Lena quickly found out what those precautions entailed: she was to be blindfolded throughout their visit and sworn to secrecy (James' actual words, not hers) and if she failed to comply with any of their requests she would face serious charges relating to a supposed security breach. 

When she pointed out that she had no motive for stealing intellectual property (despite what half of National City would have you believe, she almost added), James reminded her that they were only letting her in because she might help speed up Kara's recovery, as strange as that seemed. He had conveniently left out any further details surrounding that theory, instantly reverting back to the impassive mask he wore when he adopted his Guardian persona, but it wasn't as if Lena needed any more incentive to stay close to her best friend right now. 

On the contrary, her instinct told her that she must do exactly that, so when Alex retrieved a black kerchief from her back pocket, she closed her eyes and let herself be blindfolded without protest. Alex helped her disembark from the van and as Winn offered to guide her through the facility she eagerly accepted his outstretched arm. 

The tour didn't last long, and soon enough Winn was halting before a glass compound (Lena, who had let go of Winn's arm as soon as they passed the facility's entrance, had felt the cold material with her hands as she walked along the walls, grazing the surface with her fingertips to orient herself). 

A deep voice resonated from behind them in the corridor and as she turned towards its source Lena opened her eyes for the first time since she had left the van, and could now make out the faintest outline of a broad-shouldered man. 

''Status on Danvers,'' he asked. 

''She's stable, but still deeply affected by the kr-'' Alex replied, a horrifying gasp tearing out of her as she realized her mistake. 

''Not now, agent Danvers,'' the man said, not unkindly. 

He turned towards Lena and she could feel his intense stare even through the blindfold. The energy that radiated off him was unlike anything else Lena had encountered and she instantly felt curiosity surging in her at the prospect of uncovering a new mystery. 

''There will be no need for that here, miss...'' 

''Luthor. Lena Luthor,'' she said as she removed the blindfold and attempted to smooth her hair back hastily before extending her hand to his. 

She felt a slight tingling sensation in her fingertips as their hands made contact; it was slightly different from an electric shock, having an almost liquid quality to it, and seemed to travel right up to her arm, disappearing as soon as it had come. 

''It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Luthor,'' he said and Lena could detect a hint of amusement in his voice. ''My name is J'onn J'onzz and I am the last son of Mars.'' 

As he said those words he morphed into a tall green-scaled alien, his clothes gradually materializing into a costume fit for a superhero straight out of the vintage comics Lex used to read as a child.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kryptonian word _el-raogrhys_ was created from the Kryptonian words for 'sun' and 'strength' using [this](http://kryptonian.info/) website as a reference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is not beta read and English isn't my first language, so if you spot any grammatical mistake/weird sentence structure just tell me in the comments and I'll edit it. Sorry for taking so long to update, real life was a real b*tch.

Once Lena got over the initial shock of having witnessed a perfectly normal-looking human man shapeshift into a tall green alien ( _Martian_ , she corrected herself), she eyed him up and down, appraising him. 

He had retained some of the traits of his human counterpart, which manifested themselves in a subtle way on this more severe face - the creases around his eyes were particularly standing out, she noted as the corners of his lips turned up in a not-quite smile. 

''The pleasure is all mine,'' Lena replied and before she could finish her survey of his new form, J'onn had transformed back into his original appearance. She blinked several times in a quick succession, catching herself before her mouth had the time to shape itself into an 'O' of surprise. 

''So now that we've got that out of the way,'' Alex sighed as her gaze fell back on J'onn, who shrugged noncommittally, ''there's something else we need to tell you.'' 

Her statement was met by an ominous silence. 

''You're not gonna like it,'' Winn added in a whisper, almost as an after-thought. He was slumped against James, who stood upright near the entrance door to the glass compound, a hand resting on the gurney's metal handle. 

He nodded reluctantly at Winn's words when he saw Lena's face etch with doubt. A wave of anxiety washed over her briefly before she steeled her expression back to one of impassiveness - she had the vague impression that what they were about to reveal to her had something to do with Kara, and just because of that her heart started racing. 

Alex glared at the both of them, silently pleading them to shut up. 

''Hmm...let me guess,'' Lena pretended to be absorbed in deep thought, her fingers drumming on her chin pensively, ''Kara is Supergirl,'' she said in a clipped tone, forcing herself to conjure up a neat smile. 

The admission had left her lips involuntarily; up until that day she hadn't let herself entertain the possibility that her best friend and National City's most popular vigilante were one and the same even though the ever growing evidence pointing to Kara having a double identity was indisputable (her latest calculations elevated the probability at 92%) and that wasn't even taking into account the fact that a tiny flicker of _something_ in Alex's expression told her she was right. _Damn you, Danvers_ , she cursed internally. She rolled her eyes nonchalantly, silently daring Alex to contradict her. 

''What?'' the agent practically yelled, but quickly regained her composure when she met Lena's piercing gaze. ''But you didn't say anything, not even when Maggie alluded to it. I really thought-'' 

''You really thought I was that oblivious?'' Lena chuckled, but her laugh sounded hollow to her own ears and for a fleeting moment, she doubted herself. 

How many times had she had the same conversation with her mother, who did everything she could to make her question her every decision and laughed right in her face when she arrived at the wrong conclusion? How many times had she belittled her at family meetings, undermining her achievements while praising her brother's? 

She had indeed taken quite some time to piece all of it together, and for that she only had her unbreakable trust in Kara to blame. However, once she got to know the reporter on a more intimate level (though not near as intimate as she would've liked), she began to notice small details that appeared too specific to be coincidental (most notably the way she and Supergirl laughed, all bubbly and high-pitched, throwing their head back and squinting their eyes in the same endearing way that Lena had come to be addicted to, and their identical forehead scars, which were positioned in the exact same spot right next to their left eyebrow), all of which only served to corroborate the extensive circumstantial evidence she already possessed. 

''Well, yeah,'' she coughed awkwardly, suddenly frozen in place as Lena narrowed her eyes at her. 

She'd been reasonably irritated by Alex's cryptic behavior since the beginning, but right now it was really starting to drive Lena up the wall; she knew of the extent to which Alex valued her privacy and admired Alex's dedication to preserve it. As a Luthor, she was constantly put under scrutiny by the public for daring to be related to Lex, and she understood more than anyone the need for keeping private matters away from prying eyes. 

However, she had never so blatantly avoided answering questions concerning Kara before: in fact it was the only subject they had ever discussed in ample detail - to be suddenly denied those details made Lena feel left out, _envious_ , her mind supplied as an afterthought, but she quickly brushed it aside in favor of a more rational explanation, much like she had the first time she had met Alex in Kara's apartment. 

The death glare she had directed at her still sent chills down the agent's spine when she spent too long reminiscing about their encounter. 

Their ongoing staring contest went on for approximately thirty seconds until Lena broke the silence: 

''I'd like to know what's the deal with Kara. Why wasn't she taken here directly if you all knew about her identity? And why was she put in a state of coma in the first place? How come hasn't she woken up yet? What could have done this to her? _And more importantly, what else aren't you telling me?_ '' 

She had delivered it all in a single breath, her voice gaining in intensity at each new query until it finally cracked and a string of coughs issued forth. Winn extended his hand to pat her on the back, but his movement was quickly aborted as Lena turned towards him with a murderous glare writ clear across her angular features. Alex was quite glad not to be on the receiving end of it this time. 

Lena was furious and it took every ounce she had left of her dwindling self-control not to let her temper get the best of her. She'd been bottling everything up since she'd learned that Kara had been hospitalized for trauma-related injuries and the walls she had put up to keep her anguish, now mixed with a healthy dose of misdirected anger at the prospect of having been lied to, under control were slowly beginning to tremble. 

_You've kept me in the dark until you realized you needed me. I bet you wouldn't have told me who Supergirl was if I hadn't been useful to you,_ she silently accused. 

''He - or in this case, she - that can have patience,'' J'onn interrupted her musings, a smile tugging at his lips,''can have what she will.'' 

_Oh, joy. Telepathic aliens. -100/10 for the originality but kudos on the efficient shape-shifting technique,_ she thought as she projected the image of herself rolling her eyes at J'onn, who stayed perfectly impassible safe for the mischievous twinkle in his eye that told her he'd totally caught that. She scoffed. 

''So aliens like to quote Benjamin Franklin, apparently,'' Lena said out loud. She quirked a brow at J'onn and folded her arms over her chest, making her way over towards Alex, who was slowly retreating backwards until her back hit the glass compound with a soft thud. Lena had encased her between her arms, palms flat against the glass compound, and if she moved an inch closer she would be pressing up against her. 

''If you don't tell me what's going on right now, I'm going to leave this facility at once and never set foot here again. Come on, Danvers,'' she said in the honeyed voice she employed to coax a business rival into signing a particularly dubious contract. ''Spill the beans.'' 

Empty threats were not Lena's forte, but in this case she supposed it would have to do, for lack of a better alternative. She was better at delivering real, premeditated ones to people who actually deserved it. 

''I don't think I should be the one to break the news to you, Lena,'' Alex sighed, looking defeated and impossibly tired up-close - she was in dire need of a nap, Lena thought, but so was she - how long had it been since she'd had an undisturbed night's sleep? ''All I can tell you right now is that we've contacted Superman and he should be on his way to...'' - she cleared her throat then -''enlighten you on the matter.'' 

When she saw that Lena was about to protest, Alex went on: 

''I know nothing more than the basics, I swear, and I think it'd be better if you heard it from the mouth of a Kryptonian.'' 

Lena took a deep breath and counted to ten until she opened her mouth again to retort in a plain voice: 

''I think I just need time to process all of this. Alone.'' 

Alex gave her a sympathetic smile. 

''Believe me, Lena, you're not the only person who cares about Kara here,'' Alex said in a soft voice, reaching out to put her hand on Lena's shoulder. 

''I know,'' she whispered and watched as Alex and the rest of their squad slowly retreated from the corridor, disappearing around the corner and leaving her alone with Kara. 

As soon as she was certain they were completely out of earshot, Lena let herself sink down to the floor, not giving a damn about the resulting state of her designer clothes. She hugged her knees to herself as she curled up in a ball and started weeping like she had never wept before, heaving and sighing and coughing and sniffing abundantly as she did so. 

Predictably, her mother hadn't been the kind of parent who tolerated tears, and Lena had learned from a young age that crying was a sign of weakness, something that was undignified for a Luthor. As she let herself feel the hot tears trickle down her cheeks, she thought about all the times she had wanted to cry and couldn't and told herself that she was making up for lost time now. 

She could feel the mascara trails streaking her cheeks as the tears flowed freely and without abandon and wiped them off with her white haute couture sleeve, cursing the universe for making her fall in love with a being so extraordinary as Kara Danvers. 

In that moment, she swore she could have sensed a presence hovering over her, but when she looked up, the only thing that was staring at her was her pale reflection in the glass compound. 

\-- 

Whether or not hearing the whole story told through a Kryptonian's point of view was better ought to be an entirely subjective matter, Lena decided as she listened as Superman merely glossed over the account of Kara's accident and jumped straight to the proposed treatment to her current predicament, once again omitting important details. 

''You're telling me that I'm the only one capable of pulling her back from her coma and making her regain her memories?'' 

The words _I call bullshit_ were on the tip of her tongue, but she reined them in for the Kryptonian's sake. She didn't think the man would be the kind to appreciate foul language, and since she needed to convince him to let her see Kara she figured she would have to tone herself down a little - at least, for now. 

Lena had a hard time wrapping her head around the concept of exploring Kara's semi-conscious mind with nothing but the help of a telepathic _Martian_ , but the more Superman - Clark, she conceded as her mind replayed their first encounter in vivid detail - talked about it with what she clearly identified as an air of reverence, the more she became intrigued by the prospect of sharing her thoughts with someone else. The fact that she had spent the last few weeks pining for her best friend only reinforced her desire to go through with this impromptu plan. 

Nonetheless she told herself that she would've done the same had it been anyone else purely for the scientific value behind such an enriching experience and could almost hear her mother's resounding approval in the back of her head at the thought, making her wince. 

''Essentially, yes,'' Clark replied. ''It has never been attempted before, not so long after the impact, but I believe that since your connection is quite strong - almost as strong as mine and Lois' -,'' Clark took a brief pause, during which Lena forced herself to hold her breath in an attempt to feign disinterest - try as she might she couldn't have predicted what could have slipped out of her at this particular moment as she was practically imploding from the constant input of new information and it was only a matter of time until all that excitement bubbled up and surged forth,''it could work. It's worth a try at least,'' Clark amended. 

''What if it doesn't work?'' Lena persisted, her overly-cautious nature seeping through her resolve, though it was slowly but surely beginning to break under Clark's intense stare and her mouth was practically watering at the thought of getting so close to Kara. ''You said that the kryptonite has paralyzed her, in more ways than we could possibly imagine... What did you mean by that?'' 

''Like I've told you before, Kara's Kryptonian identity has been... temporarily erased, but it's not completely gone - her DNA sequence was intact last time we checked -, it's simply... dormant. I believe that you can awaken it again, because you are her life-force, her _el-raogrhys_.'' 

''I'm her what?'' 

''It is an old Kryptonian term that designates a person who has the ability to counteract the effects of kryptonite for one particular Kryptonian. My wife Lois is my _el-raogrhys_.'' 

''So does this mean we are... soulmates?'' 

Lena's heart was racing faster than ever. 

Clark chuckled. 

''Not necessarily in the way you might think, no, but I believe this term isn't entirely without merit.'' 

She could have sworn that he winked at her. 

''Clark, I - may I call you Clark?'' 

''I don't see why not.'' 

''Can I see her now?'' she asked urgently. 

He nodded, directing her toward the glass compound where Kara had been transferred to prior to their conversation.

The strong scent of antiseptics hit her as she passed the door and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. It was closely followed by a sweet smelling odor that seemed to emanate from Kara herself, and if she didn't know better, Lena would have thought that the fragrance was eerily similar to the one given off by the raspberry pies she and her father used to make when she was little. Or maybe it was more like the scent of old books or lilac or... she wasn't sure, she only knew that it smelled like _home_. 

Lena was too entranced by it to notice that Kara was no longer laying down on the gurney. Instead she was propped up on her elbows, silently looking up at Lena as she quietly approached her. 

''It's been a long time, sweetheart,'' she said with a small smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think in the comments and don't forget to leave a kudos if you enjoyed the story! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly have no idea how to write Mon-El as a sympathetic character because of the way he was portrayed in the show, but I promise I'm trying my best not to bash him unnecessarily and I accept constructive criticism regarding his characterization (or anything else, really). In my opinion, Lena canonically dislikes him. 
> 
>  
> 
> **Since I'm not 100% happy with how this chapter turned out, I might edit it later.**
> 
>  
> 
> But for now, happy reading!

To say that Lena was surprised would have been an understatement. She opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out, and repeated the action until she was forced to admit that Kara Danvers had once again accomplished a hitherto impossible feat, this time by reducing her to silence with a simple sentence. 

Instead, she began staring at Kara as if she had grown a second head and let out a nervous laugh when the blonde instinctively reached out for her hand. Lena noticed that it was no longer cold to the touch as it had been when she had visited her at the hospital earlier that day, but warm and _soft_ , and confusion be damned she wasn't about to let it go - her friend needed the contact, she was sure of it, and if she needed it, too, then it was mutually beneficial and thus the best course of action. 

Lena had a knack for coming up with excuses to touch her friend whenever the situation called upon it, and since this happened to be one of the least far-fetched ones, she let herself indulge in it and savored every brush of Kara's delicate fingers against her own without an ounce of guilt.

''Kara... what's the meaning of all this?'' she said in a hushed tone. _Am I dreaming?_

Kara gently stroked her hand and then let go of it, folding both of hers on top of the blankets that enveloped her. 

''I know this is going to sound strange, but please bear with me,'' she said as she sat up, rearranging the blankets around her so that she could move her arms freely, and took a deep breath before she went on: ''I felt your distress, somehow, when you were crying in the corridor. It was like a sudden, but intense jolt of pain in my chest that wasn't entirely mine, and I... I woke up from one of the craziest dreams I've ever had - I don't think you'd believe me if I told you. I was very disoriented at first and I think I fell asleep soon after that, but then when you came in here... I sensed you, and I woke up again. I don't know how- everything feels so... _weird_ , well, everything expect for you, Lena.'' 

The last part was barely more than a whisper, and Lena had to lean in to hear it. She thought she saw some tears well up in Kara's eyes and instantly felt a pang in her chest. She wanted to embrace her in a tight hug and tell her everything was going to be alright more than anything in the world, but she didn't know if she was allowed to touch her like that, or if Kara would even welcome it at the moment, so she restrained herself, gripping the edge of the gurney until her knuckles turned white. 

Clark had been particularly insistent when he'd asked her to maintain only minimal physical contact with Kara during the beginning stages of her recovery, and she wasn't about to disobey Superman's orders simply because she'd been dying to throw herself at her since she'd opened her eyes and called her _sweetheart_ in that silky tone of voice she'd only ever used (to her knowledge) when she was drunk off her ass and flirting clumsily with random waiters and, to her greatest surprise, Lena herself. 

It had happened once when they'd gone out for drinks at a local bar and both of them had agreed to never bring it up again, Lena perhaps slightly more reluctantly than her best friend, who was still in a relationship with the dorky intern Mike, but... a girl was allowed to dream, was she not? 

Slowly but surely regaining her composure and resolving herself to banish such thoughts from her mind for the time being, she asked instead: 

''What's the last thing you remember?'' 

Kara paused for a second, fiddling with the hem of the cotton blanket. 

''You and I went to a pool party organized by Cat Grant with Alex and her girlfriend Maggie,'' Kara said, looking at Lena for any sign of approval, but when it didn't come and Lena frowned instead, she went on anyway, this time with less confidence: ''And then... your mother joined us and we were about to announce our engagement when- Lena what is it?'' 

Lena's brows were knitted in confusion once again. She was beginning to think that something was seriously wrong with her best friend, but before she could voice her thoughts she was interrupted by the sound of Alex's voice echoing loudly in the glass compound.

''You've finally woken up!''

There was a note of barely-repressed excitement gracing her voice, which in the end she didn't manage to contain as she all but ran towards Kara and wrapped her in her arms, paying little to no attention to the fact that she almost tipped her over in the process. 

''Oh, thank god,'' Alex murmured while she buried her face in Kara's locks and inhaled deeply. ''You have no idea how much we all missed you.'' 

''Alex, I appreciate the sentiment, but you're crushing me here,'' Kara said, giving a little cough for effect, and Alex loosened her grip and leaned back, frowning at Kara in disbelief. 

''Well usually you're the one crushing _me_ ,'' Alex replied with a smirk. ''It's only fair that I return the favor.'' 

''Are you sure about that? You're way stronger than me, Alex. I can't even lift my own fiancée,'' she chuckled as she looked fondly at Lena, whose traitorous cheeks started heating at the thought of Kara lifting her off her feet and twirling her in the air as they both laughed carelessly and made out in the rain like the happy romcom couple Lena pretended they were in her wildest dreams. 

Alex turned towards a perplexed Lena and raised an eyebrow at her in query, snapping her out of her fantasy. She could only shrug. She suspected that Kara still lacked some of her more recent memories, and surmised that it was not impossible for her to have a different perspective on things after the accident, but to make up detailed stories from scratch was unprecedented... and now she seemed to have forgotten about her own strength. What could that possibly mean? 

''Lena knows about your little secret now. You don't need to make stupid excuses anymore,'' Alex cut in, rolling her eyes at her sister's poor attempt to hide her secret identity. In retrospect, she could admit that she hadn't been much better, what with all the things she'd let slip lately... it was only a matter of time until Lena Luthor, resident genius, figured it out. And yet, from what she could gather from the CEO's outburst she seemed to have come to that conclusion on her own and her slip-ups only confirmed a theory she probably held long before she'd even met Alex. 

She definitely lived up to her name in all the ways that mattered, Alex thought, and silently thanked whatever deity was out there that Lena had set out to make a name for herself rather than follow in her family's footsteps. 

''What secret? Oh, you must be talking about my promotion as Chief Editor to CatCo Magazine. I'd been planning on telling you on the night of our third anniversary,'' - Lena let out an involuntary gasp at that -,''but since we're both already here and my resurrection counts as an important event to celebrate, I don't see why I should wait.''

''Our third anniversary?'' she choked out. 

''Lutessa Lena Luthor,'' Kara began as she raised her voice and gripped her hospital gown in a mock-tragic way. ''Don't tell me you've forgotten about our anniversary again. I've been reminding you to book seats in the restaurant we went to on our first date for two weeks now and this is how you repay me,'' she concluded as she poked her in the ribs several times in a quick succession, making Lena giggle despite herself. 

''Ka-a-ra, stop, please!'' she panted. ''I think you've made your point.'' 

''Of course I have, Lena,'' she replied, winking at her. ''I know you were just playing with me there. I totally saw it coming, I swear,'' she said, holding up her hands in pretend surrender. 

Alex chose that moment to clear her throat. 

''Oh, sorry, Alex! I temporarily forgot that PDA makes you uncomfortable while I was in a coma,'' Kara teased. ''So, anyway, when are you going to brief me on all the things that happened while I was knocked out?'' 

''About that...'' Alex began and she sounded like she was about to drop the bomb any time now, so Lena saw fit to interrupt her. 

''For now, your... _doctor_ has recommended that you take at least one day of rest,'' - Kara groaned at that, but to Lena's surprise didn't protest -,''so you'll have to stay here until tomorrow night, but after that Alex and I would be glad to fill you in on all the juicy details. Isn't that right, Alex?'' 

Lena not-so-subtly elbowed Alex in the ribs. 

''Yes, yes of course. The details. I'm sure you'll find them most... fascinating,'' she finished lamely, mouthing 'sorry' to Lena when she glared at her.

''Fascinating, huh? All I can think about is that we never got to make a proper engagement announcement... and we should totally remedy that as soon as possible. What do you think, Lena?'' 

Lena was completely taken aback and fumbled for the right explanation - she couldn't refuse it outright without arousing Kara's suspicions, but being too eager would betray her true feelings on the matter to Alex. 

''I mean, theoretically speaking I wouldn't be opposed to that, if that's what you wish, even though I still think we're quite young to consider undergoing such a life-altering experience.'' 

She hadn't meant to say that out loud, only realizing it at the last second, and she put her hand over her mouth in a fruitless attempt to take back the words, but the damage was already done. 

Kara laughed, throwing her head back and clutching the cotton blanket to herself. 

''This is why I love you,'' she said, and her smile looked so _genuine_ that for a moment, Lena thought it was all real and she instantly melted at the sight, offering a smile of her own in return.

She desperately wanted to believe it was real, that she and Kara had been dating for three years now and that they were about to get engaged to one another - how many times had she daydreamed about the exact same scenario, how many times had she let herself entertain the possibility that her best friend was anything other than straight as an arrow only to be reminded of Kara's vehement declaration of not being gay when she'd questioned her about the flirting that occurred at the bar the first time they went out together? 

However, there was no doubt that it was a side-effect of the coma she'd been put in by the super-villain of the week... or so she assumed - Clark had not yet specified what exactly had caused it and it was probable that he didn't know himself, - because Kara was _straight_ and currently in a semi-successful relationship (Lena still had her doubts about that Mike fellow) with a man and Lena had no intention of disrupting that, no matter how much she wished it to be true. Still, a conversation with the Man of Steel regarding Kara's... new perspective on things was imperative, she decided, and as soon as she'd get out of here she would seek him out.

''Earth to Lena Luthor, I repeat Earth to Lena Luthor. Do you copy?'' 

Kara's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. 

''Sorry, I was... miles away,'' she said dazedly. 

''I could see that,'' she snorted and when Lena made no attempt to reply, she said in a soft voice: ''Hey, c'mere. You look all sad.'' 

''I'm not sad,'' Lena pouted, but leaned in closer towards Kara nonetheless, sitting on the edge of the gurney beside her. Its metal handles had been removed in the event that Kara woke up from her coma, and a makeshift foam mattress had been added to the pile of blankets to provide additional comfort. Their noses were inches apart, and Lena couldn't help but think that if only she tilted her head and drew nearer, she could close the distance between them with a kiss to Kara's lips.

Instead of complying with Lena's fantasy, the blonde pressed a kiss to her forehead, letting her lips linger on her skin for a beat longer than necessary and only separated herself from her when Alex cleared her throat once again, this time tugging urgently at Lena's shirt. 

''Do you mind if I borrow your... girlfriend for a couple of minutes?'' Alex asked her sister while eyeing Lena with a disapproving look. Lena felt guilty that she was taking advantage of the situation, but surely Alex didn't think she had gone too far simply for failing to put a stop to Kara's innocent gestures of affection, which had all been initiated by the blonde - such an accusation would be preposterous, even for someone as protective as Alex. 

''I don't see why not. In fact, I was just about to take a little nap,'' she said halfway through a drawn-out yawn. ''You guys have fun without me.''

She waved her hand at them and reclined on the gurney, closing her eyes as her head made contact with the blankets. 

\-- 

Once they had passed the doors to the glass compound, Alex didn't take long to get to the point and exclaimed in a hushed voice: 

''How much longer are you planning on not telling her?'' 

The words had come out much harsher than Alex had intended and she briefly considered apologizing before she elected to hear Lena's point of view instead. 

Despite not having given it much thought, Lena replied in an even tone:

''I just don't think it's fair to put her in a situation where she has to reassess everything she knows right off the bat. She's just come out of a two weeks coma and she needs to rest more than anything else. I want to talk to Cl-, I mean, Superman, about this unexpected turn of events before I go about challenging her whole perspective on things. I think it could do more harm than good at this point.''

Much as she was loath to admit it, she had a point, Alex conceded and said as much to Lena. 

Just as the two of them were about to head out to the DEO's main base of operations, Lena having now been given clearance to move freely about the building, a familiar voice echoed in the corridors and made them both freeze on the spot.

''I need to see Kara,'' Mike said without preamble. ''I heard she's woken up.'' 

''Mon-El,'' Alex began and there was no mistaking the tinge of annoyance that seeped through when she spoke the name, ''I don't know how you've managed to obtain that information, considering that the only people in the know are Lena and myself, but it doesn't matter.'' She raised her voice before continuing: ''What matters is... I don't think you should see her right now. Kara is-'' 

Mon-El scoffed, interrupting her. He puffed out his chest to appear more imposing and narrowed his eyes at Alex defiantly. Lena thought he simply looked like a child on the verge of throwing a tantrum because he couldn't get his way and fought down the urge to snicker at this blatant display of childishness. 

Her initial ambivalence towards him had turned to outright contempt overnight as she'd had the occasion of interacting with him one-on-one for the first time. The barest glimpse she'd had at his true nature - which he had kept under wraps until fairly recently - during their last conversation had been enough to alter her opinion of him forever, and to see him act so _entitled_ now did nothing to lessen her growing irritation for the man. 

''Really? You're going to keep me from seeing my girlfriend now? But her little _friend_ here,'' - he pointed an accusatory finger at Lena -,''can see her all she wants.'' 

It was Lena's turn to scoff. She couldn't believe this _Mon-El_ 's nerve. Decidedly, everyone in Kara's entourage was bound to have a secret identity, she mused internally. While she hadn't been surprised to learn that Mike was more than he advertised, that wasn't enough to convince her of his good intentions towards Kara. 

He rolled his eyes and made a move to advance towards the glass compound, but Alex would have none of that. She took him by the bicep forcefully, looked him right in the eye and told him to come back later for his own good. 

He laughed at her. 

''And what if I don't want to?'' he insisted, but Lena could tell that he would back down if Alex pressed the issue. 

The DEO agent looked like she was about to protest vehemently, but at the last minute decided against lashing out at him. He wasn't worth it - Lena could clearly see why she thought so, and silently approved of her decision even though she'd had the incessant urge to punch that smug smile of his right off his face since their last encounter. 

''Fine. But don't come crying at me when you find out what went down while you were gone,'' Alex sighed and let him go, eyeing him with one last disgusted look before tearing her gaze away from him. ''Send your mother my kindest regards,'' she said sarcastically when he didn't respond. 

A companionable silence settled over them as they made their way to the DEO's entrance, Alex walking in long strides and Lena following close by at a slower pace. 

''Sometimes I wonder why Kara didn't choose James over... _him_ ,'' Alex whispered furiously, hands buried in her pockets. She had stopped in her tracks and was now facing Lena, who was staring at a fixed point in the distance as if she were hypnotized. ''I mean, I knew she wasn't ready for a relationship at that time,'' Alex went on, oblivious to Lena's lapse in concentration, ''and I could understand that. But then it's like she completely forgot about him and jumped at the first opportunity she saw to get with someone else without giving it much thought. And that's not the Kara I know.'' 

Lena was at a loss for words and simply nodded, the movement alone causing a sudden jolt of pain to erupt in her chest. She was distracted by the feeling of pure undiluted _panic_ growing at an impossibly fast rate in her gut, threatening to overwhelm her with its intensity. 

Alex's voice was consequently muffled by the cloud of anxiety that had fallen over her, drowning out everything around her except for her own heartbeat, which resonated loudly in her eardrums. The surge of adrenaline that had hit her was too strong for her own metabolism to contain and she felt her knees slowly giving way, before she regained her balance at the last minute and leaned on Alex's small frame for support. 

''I don't... feel good,'' she rasped, her chest heaving violently as dark spots blackened her vision and she started to retch. ''You have to- _Kara_ ,'' she cried before collapsing to the ground. ''Kara... in danger. Help,'' she whispered in a silent plea.

\--

''I said -- leave me -- alone,'' Kara roared, smashing the stranger's head against the concrete wall one last time before letting him go. ''I don't know who you are, and I don't know what game you think you're playing, but I swear to god, if you come near me or my family ever again, I will _end_ you.'' 

She was panting hard, her hair in disarray and her cheeks puffy with dried tear trails. 

Mon-El got the message loud and clear and sprinted to the door before things could escalate even more than they already had. One thing was certain; his mother hadn't been kidding when she'd said she wouldn't recognize him.

 _Lena... Lena I'm scared_ , she thought, wiping her eyes before the tears could start spilling again. _What have I done? I'm a monster. I could have killed him._. 

She eyed the blood stains on the floor with a mix of fear and revulsion, replaying their fight on a loop as she sank to her knees and succumbed to the urge to cry. She wanted to throw up - anything to get rid of the nausea - but her stomach was empty. 

Come to think of it, how come wasn't she hungry right now? She had spent two weeks feeding off of vitamins and substitutes but not once had she heard her stomach growl since she'd woken up, and she remembered being hungry all the time before her accident, but right now she only felt a strong sensation of numbness in all her extremities. 

If she didn't know better she would have thought she were inhabiting someone else's body - it was the only explanation for her newly acquired inhuman strength coupled with her superior fighting skills and unusual immunity to hunger, and the more she thought about it the more she found evidence that would give credence to her theory.

Moments later, she started crying in earnest when she felt something bright and strong awakening in her, taking over all of her senses and paralyzing her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a kudos if you enjoyed the story and please tell me what you thought in the comments! :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhea is creepy as heck. 'Nuff said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please **be mindful of the content warnings** , aka my tags. We're dealing with major mind invasion in this chapter and some form of (mild) mental torture which could also be interpreted as physical torture in a way, so tread carefully. 
> 
> Also I don't know if I specified it elsewhere, but I came up with the idea of a bond between Kara and Lena when Mon-El called Kara his _kryptonite_ , or in other words - his weakness. I wanted to create something that was the direct opposite of that, and I love soul bonds, so... voilà! ;)

_Lena,_ an enticing voice whispered in the darkness, shaking her out of her stupor. 

It seemed to come from within, flooding the deep recesses of her mind, and at first Lena thought that perhaps Kara had succeeded in tapping into the bond's communicative link like she had done right before Lena collapsed to the ground, but then she remembered her conversation with Clark and dismissed the thought at once; Kryptonians were _empaths_ and the connection they formed with their _el-raogrhys_ bond was thus purely empathic in nature. In a way, Lena was glad that she didn't have to constantly share her thoughts with Kara as she considered it to be a major breach of privacy, but it would certainly have made things easier for them. 

No matter how hard she tried to silence the voice, it always came back ten times sharper, almost as if it were growing closer by the second, zoning in on her. She dreaded the inevitable encounter that would soon follow and braced herself for what was to come. 

She had an intricate knowledge of the realm of dreams and was no stranger to nightmares, only this one felt more tangible than anything she had ever experienced. The sweat dripping down her brow felt real enough, as did the cold hard ground she was laying on. 

Suddenly, she felt hot puffs of air licking at her ear as a small chuckle erupted right next to her, making her freeze in place. A warm hand settled on her shoulder, immobilizing her as panic threatened to overwhelm her and she began shaking like a leaf, grasping at imaginary bed covers in a desperate attempt to center herself. 

She must remain calm. This was nothing but a particularly vivid nightmare and she would escape it as soon as she woke up. 

_Shh,_ the voice began in a low rumble. _there's no need to be so frightened, my child. I have touched your mind - you hold no secret for me now._

The voice was saccharine sweet, dripping with honey and falsehoods. A shiver wracked through her as the voice echoed in the distance and she closed her eyes in an attempt to will it away. 

When she re-opened them, she spied the figure of a tall woman slowly approaching towards her, brown curls bouncing on her chest as she swayed her hips sensually. Each step made her heart thump hard in her rib cage and the feeling of dread pooling in her stomach gradually increased as she got closer. In a matter of seconds, she was now invading Lena's space, extending a graceful hand to graze her face with her fingertips. Lena recoiled from the touch and the woman laughed softly, throwing her head back. She would have been beautiful if not for the haughty expression on her face, Lena thought. She exuded a raw kind of power, standing tall and proud with a chrome crown gracing her head, her flowing robes undoubtedly made from the finest silk in the galaxy. She was looking down at Lena as if she were one of her lowly subjects undeserving of her attention. 

_You must be wondering why I summoned you here,_ she said, but her lips didn't part. Lena figured that she must be communicating telepathically. She had become used to it now as she and J'onn exchanged the occasional jab via telepathy, but his presence did not feel half as invasive as the woman's did; if his touch was a warm embrace, then hers was a stinging slap across the face, and more importantly, a harsh reminder that not all aliens were as peaceful as the ones she had encountered up until now. 

While she would never go as far as to espouse her family's beliefs, she understood the fear that drove them to such hatred to a certain extent and hoped that there would never come a day where she blindly succumbed to it. She had watched helplessly as her brother slowly fell into the same trap years ago. 

Meanwhile the woman seemed to see no problem in roaming freely about the confines of her mind, exploring its depths as she pleased, stopping only when she encountered some resistance as she attempted to unlock some of her most well-guarded secrets. J'onn had walked her through a crash course on the multiple techniques of mental shielding when Clark had first mentioned the bond to her and she was now putting them into practice for the first time, visualizing herself closing a door and locking it with a key. _I came here to bargain with you, Lena Luthor,_ she said at last. 

Lena fought the urge to scoff. _Yeah, right._

''Why should I listen to anything you say?'' 

_Oh, but have I not already proven myself by granting you your deepest desire?_

''I have no idea what you mean,'' Lena blurted out, knowing full well what the woman was referring to. 

_Don't play coy with me, child. I know your thoughts. I have been studying them for a while now._

''And _I_ am disinclined to trust a stranger who has violated my privacy,'' she all but shouted. 

_My name is Rhea of Daxam, Queen regent of-_

''Yeah, I think that's enough,'' Lena interrupted snappily. ''I don't need you to list all your titles to me.'' 

_I have seen how you look at that Kryptonian girl,_ she went on, a note of disdain creeping into her tone, _and she shall be yours forever if you promise me one thing._

The offer was tempting, and she couldn't deny that she had thought about keeping Kara in the dark ever since she had woken up - the fact that she had buried those thoughts deep in her mind, double-locking the metaphorical safe she'd put them in, didn't mean that she had not once considered the possibility of a future where the real Kara was _literally_ a prisoner of her own mind and the disgust she felt at this prospect spiked up alarmingly at the woman's words. 

''Never,'' Lena spat. 

_As you wish,_ the woman said. 

The ground began to tremble under her, splitting open and revealing a bottomless pit from which sprang chains of metal that snaked their way towards her along the cracks. She managed to avoid one _in extremis_ as she docked to the left and sprang to her feet. She tried running in the opposite direction, but was met with a force field of some kind and tumbled to the ground with a hard thump. She crawled for approximately five meters to her right before one of them coiled around her ankle and yanked up her pants to twist around the flesh, digging at it until she could scarcely hold back her cries of pain. 

_The more you fight them off and the more it'll hurt, my child. I'm surprised you've lasted this long,_ she said, but her voice held no trace of pride. 

She thrashed about until three more had climbed up her remaining limbs, holding her down steadily. One last chain made its way to her waist and coiled up around her loosely, settling over her rib cage and squeezing until Lena let out a strung out moan. 

The woman chuckled once again, filling the vast expanse of darkness with her hollow laugh. Her eyes were glinting with malice and she licked her lips before she spoke: 

_You see, Lena, I had no intention of letting you refuse me. All I ask is that you don't try to rectify Kara's little memory... problem. She knows too much. And so do you, but you haven't outlived your usefulness..._ she took a long pause and then resumed in a whisper: _yet. Make sure that it stays that way by ensuring that your_ fiancée _stays out of my way. Are we clear?_

Lena could not bring herself to speak up, so she simply nodded instead as a sob escaped her against her will - tears were prickling her eyes, and she desperately needed to wipe them off. She could barely distinguish the woman's form above her, blurred by the tears that clung to her eyes and obstructed her vision. _You can go, for now,_ Rhea said. She had now abandoned her false pretense of motherly affection and her tone was back to its usual sharpness. _But if I learn that you have deceived me, I will come for you and hunt down your loved ones one by one starting with the Kryptonian girl until you're all alone in the world. Isn't that your greatest fear - to be abandoned by everyone you love?_

Rhea snapped her fingers in a theatrical fashion and the chains vanished in a puff of smoke, the pit closing in on itself underneath her. Rhea herself disappeared behind a curtain that had not been there seconds ago, leaving behind her nothing but the mixture of fear and anger she had induced in Lena. 

When she came to a couple of minutes later, her head was spinning so fast that she had trouble adjusting to the sudden light. She blinked forcefully until the black spots that clouded her vision slowly receded and she could make out the faint outline of a tall figure leaning over her. 

With no warning, she experienced a shift in perception and felt like her head was being submerged underwater. As she tried to open her mouth to breathe, her lungs filled with water and she was once again swallowed by an ocean of darkness. It took all her willpower to prevent her from screaming. She blinked several times in a quick succession and gripped the nearest thing in her vicinity for support. 

The piece of fabric she'd tugged at belonged to Clark, she noticed as she tentatively opened her eyes, and let go of it. He was staring at her with a look of incredulity in his eyes. They were blue and inquisitive, like Kara's, and somehow that fact put her at ease. 

She heaved a sigh as she felt herself slowly emerge from the sensory maelstrom she had found herself in moments prior, and took in her surroundings; the room contained a single source of light that was located in the center (she was standing right under it, and if she tilted her head an inch upwards her vision would blur with its intensity), the walls were bare except for some tech equipment in the back that Lena identified as vital signs monitors and when she turned to the right she glimpsed Kara's sleeping form behind Clark. 

She was back in the glass compound and Kara was safe. Those were the only things that mattered to her right now, her splitting headache and intense state of grogginess be damned. 

''Clark,'' she croaked out, her throat drier than ever. She repressed the urge to cough and asked instead in a small voice, pointing to the gurney next to her: ''Is... Kara alright?'' 

''Yes, she is,'' he replied softly. ''She's still sleeping right now, recovering from the awakening of your bond that was triggered by her intense distress at having fought Mon-El. She used the bond to seek you out for the first time and you responded. I did not think you would have, not so soon, but your compatibility is undeniable.''

There was a clear note of pride in his voice, and Lena felt her cheeks warm against her will as he fixed her with a piercing gaze. 

He took a brief pause and then asked, ''Have you felt anything unusual while you were unconscious? Like a foreign presence, maybe?'' 

Lena couldn't help but think that the suggestion was deliberate, and she quickly weighed her options; she could tell Clark the truth and risk incurring Rhea's wrath, of which she didn't dare doubt its highly destructive quality, or she could lie and protect Kara and her family. Suffice it to say that there was no dilemma involved in her decision-making process. 

It was not difficult to fake slight hesitation, and her curt answer seemed to satisfy him enough for him to leave her alone with Kara, promising to return later to check up on them both. She watched him exit the compound and walk up the stairs until he disappeared behind the far right corner of the second floor. 

Lena felt a pang of guilt as she recalled his words, and the unmistakable pride underlying them, but willed herself not to dwell on it - she had much more pressing matters to attend to. As she let her gaze travel to Kara's sleeping form, she instantly felt the thought evaporate from her mind, replaced by ones of Kara waking up in her arms and stretching up like a kitten. Many such domestic thoughts had been popping up in her mind at inopportune times lately, and while she initially blamed them on Kara's sudden bursts of affection, she knew deep down that they were an inherent part of _falling in love with someone_. 

She got up with minimal inconvenience despite her widespread discomfort that manifested itself in a dull phantom ache and dragged herself across the room to sit on Kara's gurney. 

''Lena... Lena are you alright?'' Kara asked groggily as she wiped the sleep off her eyes and eyed her up with a concerned look. 

''I'm fine, Kara, why do you ask?'' 

If her voice sounded a little strained to her own ears, Lena chose to ignore it in favor of keeping up appearances with her _fiancée_. 

She would have to find an explanation for Kara's sudden insight into her feelings without hinting at the fact that Kara's biological makeup was sliiiightly different from that of an average human or, god forbid, actually dropping the A-bomb, in which A stood for _alien_ of course. However, she wouldn't be surprised if the blonde chalked it up to their three years of dating and her amazing sense of intuition and opted to let Kara come to her own conclusions regarding the strange situation she found herself in until she found a way to directly address the threat that Rhea posed. 

If Lena were being completely honest with herself, Kara had already acquired the ability to read her like an open book even without the help of their mythical bond, and she'd only had a couple months of practice. 

''I know you're not, but there's no use trying to push you to talk about something that you're clearly not ready to talk about,'' Kara replied with ease, and Lena felt the sudden urge to embrace her. ''You are one stubborn woman, Lena Luthor, and every day I grow more and more tired of your ploys to garner my sympathy,'' she went on in a dramatic voice. ''But...'' she trailed off as she sat up on the gurney so that she was now facing Lena, three mere inches separating them,''I wouldn't want you any other way.''

Kara tugged at Lena's shirt and pulled her in for a kiss. The soft press of Kara's lips on her own took some time to register, and at first she was completely unresponsive, too baffled by the unexpected turn of events to do something about it even though she had been preparing herself for this eventuality since the first time they had gone out to grab a bite together at some sushi bar. Kara seemed entirely undeterred by Lena's short-lived lack of enthusiasm and started tracing Lena's bottom lip with her tongue, paying no attention to Lena's strangled gasp of surprise as she buried her hands in her flowing hair and deepened the kiss, urging her to respond as she alternated between playfully nibbling at her bottom lip and sucking on her tongue and then went back to explore Lena's mouth. Halfway through their passionate make-out session, which was on the verge of spiraling out of control, they were interrupted by a loud knock on the glass compound's entrance. Alex stood in the doorway, arms crossed on her chest in an impatient manner. 

She was glaring in Kara's direction and then her gaze flitted to the blonde's vest that had found its way on the floor at one point during their little escapade and Kara simply shrugged in response and eyed Lena with a flirty look.

She nearly missed the alarmed words that tumbled out of Alex's mouth as soon as Kara inquired about her interruption, too busy replaying The Kiss™ on a loop, and only caught the end of the sentence, but it was enough for her to start panicking. 

''...and reports of UFOs have been going off the charts in National City, with yesterday breaking the nationwide record of 49 UFOs identified in a single city in a span of 24 hours. Lena- Lena, are you listening to me?''

''We need to get Kara to safety,'' Lena replied firmly, ignoring Alex's question. 

''Get Kara to... Lena, she's the only one who can help us-'' Alex protested. 

''In normal circumstances, I would agree with you, but-'' Lena persisted. 

''Uh... guys, I'm still here,'' Kara said, and Lena and Alex exchanged a brief glace before turning towards her in sync. ''And I have no idea what you're talking about,'' she went on, gesturing wildly at Alex. ''Alex, you're basically saying that a bunch of aliens in spaceships are currently trying to scope out the local area in the eventuality of... colonizing us and maybe killing us, but you're unsure about that part _and_ , on top of that, as if that wasn't already bat shit crazy you expect me to believe that I, Kara Danvers, am the only one capable of stopping them.'' 

''Technically, you and your cousin are the prime candidates, but... I mean, yes. Yes, that is exactly what I said. You see-'' 

''NO! No, no, no, no,'' Lena cut in, intersecting herself between Kara and Alex right before the latter had the time to finish her sentence. ''Alex, we need to talk. In private. Preferably far away from supersonic ears, if you catch my drift. Kara, please stay here and try not to read too much into... whatever it is we've just discussed. In fact, try to forget about it entirely and focus on our upcoming engagement announcement party.''

Kara eyed her with a look that said _that's not happening, like, ever_ , and Lena simply shrugged. Sometimes she forgot that Kara could be, and often was, just as stubborn as she was. 

''Next thing I know you're gonna tell me I'm the long-lost daughter of some alien warlord who's come to rescue me from the eeeevil humans, is that it?'' Kara joked right before Lena and Alex exited the compound. 

_Close enough_ , Lena thought as she and Alex made their way to the DEO's main quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think in the comments! They make my day :)


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